Automatic pencil-sharpener.



v lPA'IEII'JED AUG. 27, 1907.

' L. MYERS.

AUTOMATIC PENGEIL SHARPBNBR. PPLIUTIN I'ILD lov 19 190B A 4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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LOUIS MYERS, OF'NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

AUTOMATIC /PENcIn-SHABPENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 27, 1907.

Application filed November 19,1906. Serial No. 344.082.

` cutter and a geared chuck or rotary holderior the pencil or other objectv to be operated upon are driven by a spring motor. i

In my improved machine, the operating spring acts directly upon the cutter shaft in such manner that it can be wound by the backward vrotation of the shaft through some. suitable manually operated device preparatory to each operation of sharpening a pencil or consists of the like. Preferably, the Winding device a pull cord which is wound uponthe cutter-shaft- The cutter is splined upon its shaft so as to rotate therewith,

and at the same time be capable of longitudinal move'- ment thereon to gradually approach the pencil during the cutting operation. The means for causing the cutter to approach the pencil consists preferably of a pivoted yoke engaging vthe hub of the cutter. and formed with a trip-arm which projects into the path of a detent 'projecting from a traveling nut which operates upon a screw-threaded portion oi the shaft. A spring yieldingly holds the cutter and its actuating yokenormally in retracted position, and automatically returns them to said at the completion of each cutting operation. The traveling nut is caused to move outwardly upon the shaft into active position by the backward rotation of the shaft during the winding action, the detent passing beneath the trip arm (in this `outward movement) into position to engage said arm upon its inward active m'oigemen't. The forward spring driven movement of thel haft, during the cutting operation, causes the nut lto travel inwardly upon the shaft to shift the cutter gradually toward the pencil which is being sharpened.

l provide an adjustable stop for gaging the position of the pencil in the holder. ably mounted upon the traveling nut and is supported thereby normally in gaging position, and is moved away from the cutter out of the path of the pencil each time the shaft is rotated backwardly for Winding the spring.

The pencil holder consists preferably of an automatic spring chuck which is normally held in released .position bythe main motor-spring acting through the winding cord, and is automatically released for gripping the pencil every time the winding oord is opcrated. This chuck operating device consists preferably of a yoke engaging the movable spring pressed member of the chuck and a pivoted lever engaging the yoke and having as. arm projecting into the path of the Winding cord.

This gage stop is prefer The chuck is automatically released at the completion u of each cutting operation, to permit the withdrawal'of the sharpened pencil. u

In said drawings Figure l is a horizontal sectional plan view of my improvedmachine taken on the line l1, of Figsp2, 3,'4 and 5. Fig. 2 is a vertical transf verse sectional view' of the same taken on line 22, of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 3-3, of 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 44, ofFig'. 1. Fig. 5

tail elevation of part ofthe cutter shifting mechanism. Fig. 7 isla detail transverse sectional view of another part of the same mechanism. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the adjustable pencil stop or` gage.` Fig. 9 is a detail elevation of the clutch actuated yoke. Figs. 10, 11, l2, 13 and 14,v lare detail views of the automatic pencil holding chuck, on. an enlarged scale.

1 is a metallic casing of any desired shape preferably with a rectangular base portion with `an arched top as shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5. This casing 1 is formed with an internal partition wall 2 slightly nearer one end of the casing,`as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.. This casing supports the operative parts of the pencil sharp'ening machine, and also affords a receptacle for the col` lection of the shavings and dust resulting from the sharpening of pencils. A suitable opening (not shown), is provided for the removal of the dust and shavings. 5 is the main.v shaft of the machine, hereinafter referred to as the cutter shaft. The shaft 5 is journaled in the side and partition walls of the casing as shown.A 10 is a motor spring having its inner end secured `to a sleeve 11 which is mounted upon one end of shaft 5 and is rigidly secilred thereon by means of a pin or screw 12. Thespring 10 is wound upon the shaft, and has its outer endsecurely fastened to a pin 13 which is mounted in one of the end walls'and the partition wall.

Wound uponvthe sleeve 11 is a pull cord or'wire 15 which has its inner end fastened to the sleeve and its outer end passed through an opening formed through the end of the chuck controlling lever (hereinafter referred to), which projects through an opening 16 in the front wall of the casing. The ring, button or other convenient device 17 is secured to the outer end of the pull cord 15 for the convenient manipulaformed integral with thel l V'with a small pinion, 21 secured to an auxiliary shaft machinefrom the partition wall. Auxiliary shaft 22 has secured to its inner end 'a beveled gear 23, which meshes with a smaller bevel gear 24 formed integral with the outer member of the pencil holding chuck. The pencil lholdingchuck is shown in detailin Figs. 10 to 14. The front'wall of the casing has cut through it a large opening 25 in which is securely seated a flange bearing collar 26, which projects inwardly from the front wall. This collar 2b is formed with annular -grooves 27 and 23 at its inner and outer ends for the reception of the antifriction balls 29 and 30.

is the main outer tubular member of the automatic pencil holding chuck. This tubular chuck member 35 has the integral gear 24 projecting from it in such position as to form a proper annular channel at 36 which seats upon the antifriction balls 30. 't

the outer end of; the tubular member 35 a properly grooved bearing ring 37 is mounted. This bearing ring 37 is threaded upon the tubular member 35 and is formed with an annular channel which seats against the outer series of balls 29.

38 is a lock nut ring also threaded upon the outer end of chuck member 35 for locking the bearing ring 37 in the desired adjusted position. It will be observed from this structure that the chuck isaccurately supported .upon two sets of ball bearings upon which it is free to rotate. The inner end of the tubular chuck member 35 is formed as usualwith the tapered ring or collar 35 to engage with the tapered faces vof the inner spring actuated split` chugk member which will now be referred to.

40 is the inner chuck member having at its opposite ends the longitudinal slots 40'* and 40b to form spring gripping fingers 41 andV 42 presented in position to Vgrip a pencil at two 'relatively distant points so as to accurately support the pencil duringthe sharpening operation. This inner chuck member is formed with conical faces 43 at its inner end,'whic`h faces are adaptled to engage with the inner conical face of the tapered .ring or cdllar'3`5 of the outer chuck member 35 such manner that when the inner member is forced inwardly through the outer'member, the gripping fingers 4l will be forced into engagement with the pencil passing centrally through them. It will, of course, be understood that the inner chuck member is of tubular formation with a bore of the proper Asize to receive the ordinary pencil, the size being, of course, sufcient to allow for slight variations in the diameter of pencils, or the parts of the chuck are made of dimensions to suitl any vlike object to which the machine may be applied.

An .expansion spring 45 surrounds the inner chuck member 40 within the outer member 35, one end of said spring engaging the annular shoulder 46 and the other end a, threaded ring 47. The ring 47 is screwed into the interiorly threaded outer end of the outerl chuck member 35'. By adjusting the ring 47 the tension of spring 45 .will ue regulated.

50 (Figs. 1, 2 and 9), is a yoke formed with a central opening 5l which fits over the reduced inner end 40, and engages the annular shoulder 40d of the inner chuck member. Yoke 50 straddles the a11tnmatry 'Begeti with an opening 58 through which the pull cord ,'15

extends as above referred to. The angular extension 57 of lever 54 projects`l into the openingpl of the front plate of the casing, and is extended slightly beyond n the front of the case when thel pull cord is operated for winding the motor spring, it will be observed that the pull button or ring 17 engages the outer end of the angular extension 57 of lever 54, and is held in this engagement by the tension of the motor spring 10. This tension of the motor spring acting through lever 54 and yoke 50 holds the inner movable member 40 of the automatic chuck-pressed inwardly against the tendency vof its spring 45, thereby maintaining the chuck normally. unclamped oi-,released position in readiness for t'he insertion of the pencil to be sharpened. The .moment that the ring or button 17 is` pulled outwardly7 the restraint upon the angular 90 finger 57 of lever 54 is removed so that the chuck spring 45 is allowed to act for forcing the inner chuck member outwardly to clamp-the pencil which has been inserted.

The cutter shaft 5 hasmounted upon it a rotary cutter disk 60 of ordinary construction. This cutter 60 is splined upon the shaft 5 as shown at 6l so that the cutter will rotate with the shaft and at the same time will be capable of moving longitudinallyV upon the shaft. The hub -of the cutter 60 is formed with an annular shoulder 62 with which engage the inwardly presented Apins 63, mounted in the upper ends of the yoke 64, which is pivotally supporty :l at (i5 upon the lugs 66* projecting inwardly from the partition wall 2. Yoke G4 has pivoted to its lower end at G4 an angular arm 70 which is adjustably connected with the yoke "by means of adjusting screws 7l pasing through a lug 72 on yoke 64 and threaded into an opening 73 in tle arm 70. This arm 70 is. shaped to pass beneath the cutter disk 60, its end extending upwardly and outwardly around the cutter to allow sufiicient space for the cutter to rotateand shift upon its shaft. At the extreme outer end of the arm 70 is formed a downwardly inclined portion 70a, having upon its inner or rear face an inclined cam or flange 70b for the purpose 115 which will presently appear.

A leaf spring 75 is secured at 75a to the inner face of the rear walll of the casing, and is formed with a bifurcated or forked inner end, which engages in the annular recess 76 cut in the face of the cutter 60 immcdi- 120 'ately surrounding the shaft 5. The two arms of the meanvactuated by the movement of the nut for 'shitting a rorarycutter splned on said shaft so as to be capable of 15 the cutter longitudinally upon the` shaft, a pencil holding longitudinal movement thereon, a non-rotating nut threadcutter Shaft-a cutter movable longitudinally on said shaft as to gradually advance the latter toward the axis of the 20 by which it is driven, a non-rotating nut threaded on said pencil clutch by the rotation of the driving shaft, manuand' a lever and cam device connecting the longitudinally and connecting gear between the cutter shaft and pencil moving nut with 'the hub ot the rotary cutter, so as to imclutch, rotating the latter from the former.

part longitudinal motion to the latter. LOUIS MYERS.

26. An automatic pencil Sharpener comprising a rotat- Witnesses:

ing chuck for holding the pencil to be sharpened, a spring OCTAVIUS KNIGHT,

driven shaft on an axis at 'right angles to the pencil chuck, WM. P. HAMMOND. 

